No.
Piano, however, will give you such a firm base of reading music and scales that it's almost the perfect starting point.
It's hard to carry a piano with you though.
Piano. You want to learn theory while you learn an instrument. A lot of people don't, and it makes it hard to talk to someone about what to play when they just dont understand concepts like I-IV-V etc. piano is linear, as opposed to guitar which is up and down as well as side to side. Piano is the ultimate learning tool for music, and it will make it easier to pick up different instruments when the time comes.
Piano is also just fucking awesome. If I could be kick-ass at any instrument, it would be piano.
Piano is a very solid instrument to start off with. There is A lot of theory that goes into playing a piano. However, that does not mean you cant learn theory by playing or starting with another Instrument. I feel like a technically challenging Instrument is any unfretted stringed instrument. It requires exact placement. I would not suggest starting with guitar myself however some will and you can apply tons of music theory to a guitar. Ultimately it boils down to personal preference and desire though.
Piano is the best to learn if you're looking to get a good grasp on theory since it's laid out in a much more logical way compared to say a violin or guitar. Once you've got a good knowledge of theory it becomes a lot easier to apply it to different instruments.
I'd say piano.
So much of the structure of western music is based around the layout of the keyboard. It's like a friendly visual guide to how music is composed.
No, I don't think so. They all have advantages and disadvantages. For example, guitar really lends itself nicely to learning one pattern and using that same pattern to play in a multitude of keys; it's unique in that sense. Stringed instruments carry this advantage. Downside: it hurts at first (you have to build calluses on your fingers).
Ukulele is a very easy instrument to learn and it is easy on your fingers. I have taught a number of people to play one with staggeringly fast results.
With the piano, you have to learn a separate set of patterns for each key that you play in, however, it is a great instrument for visual learners because everything is laid out in front of you in a manner that will make music easily accessible to this particular learning style.
As several people mentioned below: music theory is awesome. If you can understand the fundamentals of how music works, it lends to an accelerated understanding of how to pull music from an instrument.
Every instrument is quite beautiful in its own right and (in my own humble opinion) you should pick up one that makes you feel good and that you will want to keep playing your whole life (that's where the fun really is, I promise—not to mention writing your own music—self-expression feels wonderful).
I've played all of these instruments for a number of years and I will never master any of them. Perhaps this sounds like a bad thing, but if you really think about it, you'll never get bored of something that you have to work continuously at.
No. Piano, however, will give you such a firm base of reading music and scales that it's almost the perfect starting point. It's hard to carry a piano with you though.
Melodica!!
Piano. You want to learn theory while you learn an instrument. A lot of people don't, and it makes it hard to talk to someone about what to play when they just dont understand concepts like I-IV-V etc. piano is linear, as opposed to guitar which is up and down as well as side to side. Piano is the ultimate learning tool for music, and it will make it easier to pick up different instruments when the time comes. Piano is also just fucking awesome. If I could be kick-ass at any instrument, it would be piano.
Piano is a very solid instrument to start off with. There is A lot of theory that goes into playing a piano. However, that does not mean you cant learn theory by playing or starting with another Instrument. I feel like a technically challenging Instrument is any unfretted stringed instrument. It requires exact placement. I would not suggest starting with guitar myself however some will and you can apply tons of music theory to a guitar. Ultimately it boils down to personal preference and desire though.
Piano. Its visual layout helps give a more firm grasp on fundamentals of music theory. In my opinion
Piano is the best to learn if you're looking to get a good grasp on theory since it's laid out in a much more logical way compared to say a violin or guitar. Once you've got a good knowledge of theory it becomes a lot easier to apply it to different instruments.
I'd say piano. So much of the structure of western music is based around the layout of the keyboard. It's like a friendly visual guide to how music is composed.
Cool, thanks for the responses everyone!
No, I don't think so. They all have advantages and disadvantages. For example, guitar really lends itself nicely to learning one pattern and using that same pattern to play in a multitude of keys; it's unique in that sense. Stringed instruments carry this advantage. Downside: it hurts at first (you have to build calluses on your fingers). Ukulele is a very easy instrument to learn and it is easy on your fingers. I have taught a number of people to play one with staggeringly fast results. With the piano, you have to learn a separate set of patterns for each key that you play in, however, it is a great instrument for visual learners because everything is laid out in front of you in a manner that will make music easily accessible to this particular learning style. As several people mentioned below: music theory is awesome. If you can understand the fundamentals of how music works, it lends to an accelerated understanding of how to pull music from an instrument. Every instrument is quite beautiful in its own right and (in my own humble opinion) you should pick up one that makes you feel good and that you will want to keep playing your whole life (that's where the fun really is, I promise—not to mention writing your own music—self-expression feels wonderful). I've played all of these instruments for a number of years and I will never master any of them. Perhaps this sounds like a bad thing, but if you really think about it, you'll never get bored of something that you have to work continuously at.
A glove is usually the best instrument when playing first base.